Topic : Super Bowl

As one of the biggest cities in the country, Philadelphia is often selected to host events that attract national and international audiences, most recently the 2013 U.S. Open Championship, the 2015 World Meeting of Families and papal visit by Pope Francis, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and the 2017 NFL Draft. But until February 7, 2018, the city had never hosted a Super Bowl champions parade.

When it comes to communicating that people have transportation options besides their own drive-alone cars, the transit industry is getting its lunch handed to it, and has been for decades. It must face that it’s a fringe player that wants to become mainstream. And it’s not getting any easier. While we hear so many great stories about options presented by bikeshare systems and technology and Uber, the fact remains that people are buying cars more than ever.

Transit service to events included multiple layers of strategic activity to ensure success, including five days of enhanced light rail service to support rider demand and special bus service to and from outlying park-and-rides to provide added transit options.

The chairman of the committee that held the hearings says initial findings suggest the transit problems were caused by “an overreliance on expensive bus options that fans were unlikely to use” as well as the lack of a backup plan.